MONTREAL – The Montreal Impact U21 team pushed its unbeaten streak this season (3-0-3), coming back from 1-0 down at half-time to defeat SC Waterloo 3-1 on Saturday, at the St-Jean-Vianney College sports complex. Yacine Ait-Slimane (58th minute), Stefan Vukovic (75th) and Philippe Lincourt-Joseph (90+) scored the three goals for the Impact in its fourth home match of the season.
SC Waterloo opened the scoring in the 38th minute. Impact goalkeeper Jason Beaulieu made the initial save with his right hand, diving to his right, but Waterloo midfielder Harris Fazlagic scored on the rebound.
The Impact equalized just before the hour mark when forward Stefan Vukovic played a ball down the right side where midfielder Ait-Slimane, dribbling towards centre of the box, went past goalkeeper Imad Hakura and scored in an open net. Ait-Slimane, a U18 player, came on for Zakaria Messoudi in the first half following an injury to his left thigh, scoring his first goal of the campaign.
Midfielder Wandrille Lefevre, returning to the lineup following a two-game suspension, set up the winning goal in the 75th minute, dribbling down the left flank for several meters, beating the Waterloo defence, before playing a ball down the right for Vukovic, who one-timed it from inside six meters.
In extra time, Philippe Lincourt-Joseph scored the insurance marker, five minutes after coming on for forward Victor Ndiaye. Lincourt-Joseph scored into an empty net following a cross that came from Ait-Slimane down the right flank.
“We worked well in the second half and were more creative, more aggressive and faster,” said Impact U21 head coach Philippe Eullaffroy. “It’s good to play games like this one against an experienced team with a good skill level. It’s good for the development of our players. We want to continue to win at home, without losing on the road to further this good start to the season.”
Goalkeeper Jason Beaulieu made some key saves, most notably in the 36th and 60th minutes, when he was forced into making diving saves.
The Impact played the last 10 minutes a man up following the ejection of SC Waterloo defender Zoran Kucic, following an illegal contact with Ndiaye.
Midfielder Dominique Morin wore the captain’s band for the matchup.
With this victory, the Impact jumped to second spot in the Canadian Soccer League (CSL) standings, one point behind the league leaders Toronto Croatia.
Next game
The Impact U21 will get a two-week break from regular season action, and will then play its next match on the road versus the Serbian White Eagles, on Friday, June 22, at Centennial Stadium. The White Eagles currently sit in third in the overall standings.
Impact U21 lineup:
GK - Jason Beaulieu; D - Francesco Augustin, Kai Morton, Amine Meftouh, Hugo Lapointe-Sénécal; M - Wandrille Lefevre (Alexander King 90’), Dominique Morin, Jeremy Gagnon-Laparé, Zakaria Messoudi (Yacine Ait Slimane 40'); F - Victor Ndiaye (Philippe Lincourt-Joseph 85'), Stefan Vukovic
Unused Subs: Kevin Luarca, Tarik Agday, Hicham Kettani
*Impact U18 player
Injured players: GK - Maxime Crépeau, Samuel Dufort; M – Maxim Tissot, Félix Cardin, Chris-Michel Rumuri; F – Anthony Jackson-Hamel, Mircea Ilcu
Goals:
SCW - Harris Fazlagic 38’
MTL – Yacine Ait-Slimane (Stefan Vukovic) 58'
MTL – Stefan Vukovic (Wandrille Lefevre) 75'
MTL - Lincourt-Joseph (Ait-Slimane) 90'
